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Removing melted vinyl from exhaust pipes

 

Have a problem which I hope this forum can help me with. I recently took my daughter for a ride on my Harley Davidson. She was wearing a jogging suit and when she went to get off, the outer shell of the suit rested on the exhaust pipe causing it to melt onto the chrome pipe. I can't seem to find a solvent to remove it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Chip Wimmershoff
- Denville, New Jersey

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Chip,

Theoretically the PVC 'solvent'... which you can buy in most hardware stores ... should be OK. This is a high end solvent called Tetrahydrofuran and is the standard for cleaning PVC piping. There are much weaker solvents like acetone ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly Flammable! and MEK / methyl ethyl ketone but THF is the best. The store can may not contain a pure colorless liquid but tinted blue ... worry not, the blue is to help plumbing inspectors to check that primer, sic. solvent, was applied prior to cementing.

Mind you, there's another way ... heat up to around 550 degrees and at that temperature the PVC should burn off! I've never tried that approach but that's the temperature, I believe, that PVC, the type l rigid top-of-the-line material should decompose at ... your material being of a lesser grade and would need less heat, one presumes. But I'm not sure that the chrome wouldn't also 'discolor' at that temperature.

Cheers!

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).

The old fashioned acetone ⇦this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] Warning! highly Flammable! nail polish remover worked for me.

Carol Wanta
- Hatley, Wisconsin, USA
June 16, 2011

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Ed. note: Letter 14006 relates dozens of experiences with removing vinyl and similar materials melted onto motorcycle exhaust pipes.